The subject invention is directed toward the art of electrical boxes and, more particularly, to an arrangement for mounting and supporting ceiling fans without relying on the associated electrical box for support.
Ceiling fans present special mounting problems because of their size and weight, as well as because of the vibrations and forces they generate during operation. Typically, such fans are mounted and supported by brackets or plates bolted or screwed into the associated electrical box previously installed for a ceiling lighting fixture or the like. The total support for the fan is thus supplied by the electrical box which is assumed to have sufficient strength and to be adequately supported from the superjacent structure.
Even in new construction, the use of the electrical box as support for the fan is sometimes carried out without full consideration of the loads and operating forces encountered.